Table of Contents

3.1 Commonwealth sector infrastructure

The Commonwealth’s limited role in and ownership of infrastructure reflects the constitutional division of responsibilities between different levels of government and increasing market capacity to finance, provide and charge for infrastructure. The current level of Commonwealth infrastructure holdings also reflects policy decisions by successive Commonwealth Governments to reduce their direct involvement in commercial activities with a resultant shift in asset ownership to the private sector through privatisation programmes.

Accordingly, the Commonwealth provides infrastructure for its own functions and a small amount of public infrastructure. The other levels of government and the private sector are much bigger contributors. Nevertheless, the Commonwealth makes a significant contribution to State and local government infrastructure funding and has an important role in framing regulations that affect the sector.

Source: National Commission of Audit calculations based on data for the Commonwealth Consolidated Financial Statements 2012-13. Snowy Hydro Ltd, 2013.Total land, buildings and other infrastructure, plant and equipment.